4. An electron enters an electric field represented by the equipotential lines shown by the lines in the diagram. The electron’s path is shown by the dotted line.
What is the path of an alpha particle entering the same field with the same velocity as the electron?
B
Explanation:
The alpha particle has positive charge, therefore its deflection will be in the opposite direction of the electron. (answer A or B)
It has a larger mass, therefore the acceleration will be much smaller, explained by the following calculation:
The alpha particle has twice the charge of the electron, this doubles its acceleration.
It has much more mass than the electron, therefore the denominator in the above ratio increases by a larger factor than the numerator. This means the acceleration of the alpha particle will be much smaller than that of the electron. (its motion will change at a slower rate).
This can also be explained by 2-dimensional motion where there is no force on the horizontal but there is a smaller force on the vertical, meaning it will cover the vertical distance in a longer time, allowing it to travel further along the horizontal, giving the path in B.